


Strange Bedfellows

by StellarWing



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Eventual Sexual Content, F/M, M/M, Mage Taako, Many mentions of blood, Minor Violence, Vampire Kravitz, but you don't need to be familiar with it to read, inspired by old World of Darkness, will add warnings before it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-04-24 18:25:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14361087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarWing/pseuds/StellarWing
Summary: Kravitz is a very old, very powerful vampire who is just trying to live his (un)life. He goes out of his way to help an injured stranger, and gets caught up with an eccentric group of supernaturals and their strange organization.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I wanted to write about vampire Kravitz so I started writing about vampire Kravitz. In case you didn't read the tags, I want to reiterate that I am going to be taking a lot of stuff about supernatural creatures from Classic World of Darkness, but there won't be anything that you'll need prior understanding of the game system to understand. I'm basically just picking and choosing stuff that I like from how it works.
> 
> I have no idea how long this is going to be and my update schedule is "whenever I get around to getting the next chapter done." I'm sorry, I can't stick to an actual schedule to save my life.

Kravitz was on his way home, strolling down dark, empty streets, when he caught the scent of blood. Not just any blood, but blood coursing with magic. And there was a _lot_ of it.

He immediately changed course to follow the scent, spurred on by a primitive hunger. When was the last time he had tasted magic blood? And with so much of it in the air, the owner of it must have been on death's door. He never killed to feed if he could avoid it, but if this person was already beyond saving than there would be no reason to feel guilty about draining them dry...

Kravitz quickly located the source of the blood, an elf staggering down the sidewalk. There was a trail of red behind him, and he was clutching his side, muttering curses with every step. He had a focus that suggested he had a destination in mind, and was using every ounce of determination he had left to try and reach it.

Now that he had found his quarry, a feeling of pity bloomed in Kravitz's chest. This was not someone who had accepted that their time had come, this was someone fighting to survive with every breath. He could not bring himself to be the one to snuff out that spark. But neither could he leave, for that would be the same as dooming him to death. Kravitz was able to resist the monstrous part of him that wanted to tear into the elf and drain his remaining life force only because he'd had centuries as a vampire to develop his self control, but he knew there were many much younger vampires in the city. Vampires who would be able to smell his magic blood, and would not be able to resist coming for him. It was only a matter of time.

Kravitz stepped from the shadows in an alley ahead of the elf, who immediately stopped and tensed, sizing him up with a sharp gaze.

"It isn't safe for you here," Kravitz said in a low voice, not wanting to attract any more attention than necessary.

The elf sneered. "Yeah I uh, I already fucking figured that one out." He motioned to his injured side with the hand that wasn't currently trying to stem the bleeding. "Coulda used that little tip earlier, hombre."

Kravitz frowned. He hadn't expected someone who had lost so much blood to be so hostile toward him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, starting to dial the number for emergency services.

"I'm going to call for help, if you just hold still until an ambulance arrives you might-"

"No!" the elf cried out in a panic, lurching forward, then immediately stopping and cursing in pain, "Don't call the fucking- don't get the fuzz involved. I'll be fine, just get the fuck out of my way."

Kravitz stopped dialing and put away his phone, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. The elf started to stumble forward again, clearly meaning to walk right past Kravitz and continue toward his original goal, but he had barely taken a step before he was suddenly slammed to the ground, tackled by a figure that had snuck up from behind.

A human man had him pinned to the ground, opening his mouth to reveal two pointed fangs that he moved to sink into the elf's flesh.

Kravitz surged forward, intending to tear the other vampire off of him, but a brilliant flash of fire erupted around the attacker, and Kravitz had to shield his eyes from the painfully bright blaze. When he looked again the human was gone, and there was a thick cloud of ash in the air that slowly began to settle onto the pavement.

So the elf was definitely aware of the magic flowing in his blood, and had learned to channel it. Good to know.

The elf staggered back to his feet, but immediately started to stumble and had to lean heavily on a lamppost to keep himself upright. He looked up at Kravitz, and though his eyes still burned with determination there was now a heavy tinge of fear as well.

"Hey thug, you really wanna- wanna help me out?" the elf asked, voice shaking only slightly, "There's a place, two alleys down. There's a door near the end, blue, kinda blends in with the wall. Gotta knock four times, pause for a second, then knock three times. Help me get there."

Kravitz had never intended to get this involved, but he had already decided he wasn't going to leave this elf to die, and to walk away now would be even more cruel than if he had never shown himself. So he nodded, stepping close and offering his arm, which the elf took with only minimal hesitation, leaning heavily against him.

The two of them made it to the next alley before the elf suddenly slumped against him, clearly struggling to remain conscious.

"Fuck," the elf mumbled as he clung to Kravitz for support, "I can't- _fuck._ "

Kravitz was surprised by the wave of panic he felt as the elf began to collapse. He had become invested in seeing him saved, and desperately didn't want to watch him die here on the cold pavement. Despite knowing nothing about him or what kind of person he was, it felt cruel and wrong.

Kravitz quickly scooped him up into his arms, the elf letting out a confused whine but having no strength left to fight him. He ran the final block to their goal at a full sprint, the elf's weight nothing to him with his supernatural strength. He rounded the corner into the alley and quickly located the blue door, shifting the elf in his arms so that he had a hand free. Four knocks, pause, three knocks.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps from somewhere inside and seconds later the door opened inward, revealing a huge mountain of a man with fantastic sideburns and too many scars to count. He was smiling as the door opened, but that smile turned into confusion and then horror as he took in the sight before him.

"Well shit," the man cursed, "Get him in here, quick!"

The man stepped to the side and held the door, obviously expecting Kravitz to come inside. His instincts told him this was stupidly dangerous; he had no idea what this place was or who these people were, and if the elf in his arms was magically inclined than it was likely any companions he had were as well. Kravitz had not survived as long as he had by following magical strangers into suspicious buildings.

He glanced down at the elf, now fully unconscious. Kravitz could still feel the weak pumping of his heart, but it was clear he would be dead soon without treatment. He may have even been beyond the help of normal medicine. He hoped they had a resident mage on hand with a specialty in life magic.

After one very short moment where he pondered how he had gotten to this point, Kravitz stepped through the door. The man closed it securely behind him and then slipped past him so that he could lead, motioning for Kravitz to follow.

Just inside the entrance was a short hallway that ended in a spiraling staircase, leading only down. He followed the man down it to another hallway, this one much longer with several doors lining either side. His guide led him to the door at the very end, which he threw open without hesitation, screaming into the room, "Merle, get your ass over here, Taako is hurt bad!"

Kravitz hurried after him into the room, evidently a treatment facility of some sort, if the collection of beds separated by curtains was any indication. Yet there were no traditional medical tools visible and there was an unusual number of plants scattered about, most contained in pots but a few twisting freely around headboards and curtain rods.

A crusty-looking dwarf with an eyepatch waddled over from the opposite side of the room, motioning toward the beds, voice surprisingly calm for someone faced with a person barely clinging to life.

"Get him on a bed, I'll see what I can do."

Kravitz carefully laid the elf - Taako, he supposed - onto the closest bed, then took a step back to keep himself out of the way. He looked down and frowned when he noticed the incredible amount of blood now staining his suit, almost certainly unsalvageable. Unfortunate.

The dwarf, Merle, hopped up on a stool conveniently placed next to the bed, pressing a hand to Taako's chest. Kravitz presumed he was channeling magic of some sort, though he was not quite familiar enough with the process to be able to tell.

His attention was diverted as someone new entered the room, a pudgy human man with glasses and a lab coat. "Is everything all right, I thought I heard-"

He stopped mid-sentence and froze when he spotted Kravitz, eyes widening with both fear and fascination.

"Heeey Magnus, why did you let a vampire in here?"

Kravitz immediately took stock of his surroundings, planning the best path of escape if the situation was about to go south. The newcomer was still blocking the doorway they had entered through, so if he ran that way he would need to push past him to escape. He did not appear strong, but Kravitz knew very well that looks could be deceiving, especially if he could recognize a vampire on sight. He probably had powers of some sort.

There were two other doors in the room, but both were closed and had no labels to indicate where they might lead. It was too risky to go for one of those, with no knowledge of what else was around. His best chance was to get past the man and try to get out the way they had come.

The large man who had first met Kravitz, evidently Magnus, blinked at him in shock, then faced the man in the doorway.

"I don't know! He knew the knock and Taako was with him so I figured he was cool? I didn't know he was a vampire!"

"Taako...?" The man in the doorway turned and noticed Taako for the first time, still unconscious with Merle standing over him. "Oh shit, is he okay?!"

He moved toward the bed, leaving the door unblocked. Kravitz wasn't sure whether or not these people meant him harm, but it was too much of a risk to wait around and find out. He took advantage of the opening and ran.

Kravitz flew down the empty hallway, almost at the foot of the stairwell when he slammed into _something,_ forcing him to stagger backward several feet. In front of him had appeared a mostly translucent wall, stretching to completely fill the width and height of the hallway. He spun around and found another such wall just behind him, leaving him only a few feet to move around in.

He was trapped.

Beyond the second wall, back in the direction he had just fled from, was a woman he had not seen before. She was tall, well-dressed, and had a regal bearing about her. She was looking him over with a critical eye, frowning deeply.

"Who _are_ you?" she demanded, expression stern.

Kravitz tamped down the fear he felt at being trapped like an animal in a den of mages. He was ancient and powerful, and had been through worse. He would get through this.

Kravitz straightened his posture and smoothed down the front of his blood-soaked suit.

"My name is Kravitz, and I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako wakes up, and flirts with a dead guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who gave feedback on chapter 1, you all are what keeps me writing. <3

Taako awoke with a dull pain in his side and the taste of blood in his mouth. He opened his eyes slowly, relieved to see one of Merle's weird vines above him. So he had made it back to the base.

"Oh hey, you're awake!"

He turned his head to see Barry at his bedside, looking intensely relieved.

"You lost a lot of blood," Barry said with a tense smile, "For a moment it looked like Merle's magic might not work, and I'd have to try out one of my experimental spells."

Taako's eyes widened in horror. "Oh fuck no, you keep your freaky death magic away from me."

Barry chuckled, a subdued sound that Taako knew would have been more jovial in better circumstances.

"So what happened to me anyway?" Taako asked, smoothly changing the subject, "I hallucinated that a super hot guy appeared out of nowhere and bridal-carried me to safety."

Barry laughed nervously and fiddled with his glasses. "Yeah that, actually happened. Also he's a vampire."

"Oh." Taako wasn't really sure how to process that bit of information, so he mostly didn't. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure...? I mean, you can ask him yourself if you want. Lucretia locked him in the storage room."

Taako carefully pushed himself up into a seated position. "Oh boy, what'd he do?"

"Walked into our secret base that no one is supposed to know about, with you just about dead. Luce wanted to wait until Dav gets back so he can decide what to do about him."

"Peachy." Taako stretched, wincing slightly as several bones popped at once. "Think vampire boy would be mad if I popped in to visit? I wanna know if he's as smokin' as I remember."

Barry shrugged. "Luce said not to talk to him, but I already went over to ask him a few things. He seems all right, wouldn't let me take a blood sample, though."

Taako rolled his eyes and slid off the bed, a little shaky on his feet but fairly confident he wouldn't fall on his face. "Good, that means he's- he's probably sane."

"Hey... Taako?"

Barry's voice was suddenly soft, and Taako stiffened, certain he knew where the conversation was headed.

"You were looking for Lup, weren't you?"

Taako faced the bed and started picking at the corner of the sheet. "...Yeah. Didn't learn shit, though. False lead."

"Why didn't you ask me to go with you?" Barry's voice was still mostly calm, but there was an edge of anger to it.

"It was time sensitive. I know, I know, it was stupid as fuck and I almost died. You don't have to tell me."

Barry let out a long sigh. "I probably would have done the same. Just, be careful, all right? I know I don't have to tell you how devastated she would be if something happened to you."

Taako nodded slowly, still tugging at the shitty infirmary sheets. They really needed to get something nicer for these beds. He didn't resist when Barry walked over and pulled him into a hug, patting him on the back.

"We're gonna find her," Barry said with sincere determination.

"I know." Taako stubbornly refused to let himself cry, feeling like it would be an admission of loss. "I-I know."

Barry stepped back and Taako wiped away unshed tears, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Now outta my way," Taako said with fake bravado, "I'm gonna change and charm the fuck out of a vampire."

By the time Taako reached his room, he felt steady on his feet again. He would probably have to avoid wearing heels for the time being, but that was fine. He wanted to impress the vampire but it was important he didn't look like he was trying too hard.

Taako stripped off his ruined clothes and paused to examine himself in his floor-length mirror, carefully running a hand over the four deep parallel gashes across his left side. The wounds were closed thanks to Merle's magic, but it was up to his own body to finish the healing process, and all four marks were definitely going to leave scars. Unfortunate, but at least they would be pretty badass looking.

After a quick shower he got himself dressed in fresh clean clothes, looking himself over once more in the mirror before heading down to the storage room. Magnus was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the door, concentrating on a block of wood in his hands that he was carving into _something._

"Hey Mags," Taako greeted him flippantly, "Move over, I wanna say hi to Dracula."

Magnus lowered the block of wood and looked up at him, shaking his head. "No can do, Lucretia said not to let anyone through the door."

"Aw come on, I know you already let Barry through!"

"Barry just kind of yelled stuff at him through the door. He never went in or anything."

Taako crossed his arms and pouted. "C'mon, what's the worst that could happen? If he wanted to hurt me he had a primo chance for that already."

Magnus looked up and down the hallway, as if worried someone might suddenly appear. "Fine, but if Lucretia or Dav get mad I'm gonna tell them you magic'd my brain to make me do it."

"I don't have mind control powers, but yeah sure whatever."

Magnus scooped up his half-carved wooden figure and his knife and scooted over to the side, leaving the door unblocked. Taako undid the latch and pushed it open slowly, not keen on seeing what happened if he accidentally caught a vampire by surprise.

All the lights were on in the room, which really highlighted how dusty and unkempt the space was. The vampire was seated on one of the larger boxes, eyes half-lidded and looking like he was struggling not to doze off, suddenly snapping to attention when he spotted Taako.

He was absolutely as handsome as Taako remembered him being. _Score._

The vampire quickly stood, looking Taako up and down with a curious expression.

"Hey now," Taako teased, motioning toward his face, "Eyes are up here, buddy!"

The vampire frowned slightly, but did raise his gaze to meet Taako's.

"I'm just surprised to see you already looking so... vibrant," the vampire explained calmly. "So, have your leaders decided what my punishment is for saving one of their own?"

Taako grinned, loving the energy Kravitz was putting out. He held out his hand for a shake.

"First things first- Hail and well met, my name is Taako, and you are...?"

"Kravitz," the vampire answered, reaching out and accepting the handshake.

And _wow_ his hand was chilly. He supposed it should not have surprised him that a dead man was cold, but he had never actually touched one before.

"Hoo boy," Taako said as he pulled back his hand a bit faster than was customary, "That's a clammy one. Bad circulation?"

Kravitz just smiled, seemingly unbothered by his reaction. "None at all, in fact."

"Right, right. So what's an undead prince of the night do for fun?"

Kravitz frowned at him again. "I'm sorry but, why exactly did you come in here? Am I free to go?"

Taako waved his hand dismissively. "Nope, we're still waiting for Davenport to get back and make that decision. He should be here in a few hours. I just thought you could use some of that patented Taako Time."

"I... see." Kravitz looked him over thoughtfully. "...I do a lot of reading. Sometimes I watch TV, but not much of it interests me. Oh, and I play piano."

Taako perked up with interest. "A music man, huh? I dig it."

He turned away from Kravitz to look around the room, locating a box that would make a suitable chair and dragging it across the floor, positioning it so that he could sit directly across from Kravitz.

Kravitz watched him with a bewildered expression, slowly sitting back down on his own box when he saw Taako doing the same.

"So," Kravitz asked cautiously, "What exactly is it that you want from me?"

Taako leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Maybe I just wanna get to know the handsome stranger who saved my life."

Kravitz looked flustered by his answer, which was a _very_ good look on him. He could tell this was going to be an extremely enjoyable conversation.

* * *

Kravitz just wanted to go home. Not that it would be easy to, even if he was released, since the sun was currently high in the sky. Still, he would very much prefer not to be locked in a dusty storage room.

He was fairly confident he could fight his way out of there if he truly wanted to; whatever this group was didn't appear to be well organized, and if his current location was any indication they were not accustomed to holding prisoners. But he also got the distinct impression that none of them actually wanted to hurt him, they just weren't sure what to do with a stranger knowing about their existence. And Kravitz didn't much like turning to violence unless necessary, and he _really_ didn't want to be responsible for starting some sort of vampire-mage war in the city.

So he waited. And he was so _tired,_ but he didn't feel safe enough to let himself sleep.

When the door opened, he had not expected to see Taako sauntering into the room, looking refreshed and not at all like he had been barely clinging to life only hours prior. And he had definitely not expected Taako to make himself comfortable and strike up a casual conversation.

Kravitz did not make a habit of socializing with the living; very few knew that vampires even existed, and he did not want to risk letting someone get close enough to find out his secret. Those who _did_ know were often supernatural themselves, and viewed him with an intense distrust born from generations of clashes between their kinds.

And yet, after the initial awkwardness was settled, talking with Taako was easy. He was neither afraid nor resentful of Kravitz, and seemed to have a genuine interest in what he had to say. When he learned that Kravitz could eat and drink regular food (though it provided him no nutrition and would have to be vomited up later), he pulled out his phone and called Barry, somehow convincing the man to bring them a bottle of wine and two glasses. The situation was surreal, but far more enjoyable than what he expected when he was first locked up.

Most of the conversation was light, a sharing of interests and funny stories. The only break in the mood came after Taako offhandedly mentioned that his sister made a killer tiramisu.

"You have a sister?" Kravitz asked casually, as it seemed to be the natural progression of the conversation.

Taako froze, his cheerful expression replaced for just a moment by one of despair, but he quickly forced the smile back onto his face. He answered with a stilted “Yeah” and then immediately changed the subject, and Kravitz was smart enough not to bring it up again.

Somewhere between the second and third glasses of wine, Kravitz became quite certain that Taako was flirting with him. He knew himself to be an attractive man and was used to this kind of attention, but it usually came from mortals who didn't know better or from fellow vampires trying to schmooze their way closer to the Queen. Being the object of interest for someone who knew what he was but had no obvious ulterior motive was strange and refreshing.

Not to mention the fact that the elf was incredibly easy on the eyes. He also had an endearing laugh, high and stuttering and loud, and eyes that shone with life. At one point while he was talking he casually leaned forward and set his hand over Kravitz's, right where it rested on his knee, and the sudden warmth was intense in a way he hadn't expected. If his heart had been beating, he was certain it would have sped up noticeably at the contact.

Kravitz was more than a little disappointed when their conversation was interrupted.

"Taako," a stern voice cut in, " _Really?_ "

Standing in the doorway was the woman he remembered had introduced herself as Lucretia, arms crossed and looking annoyed but not the least bit surprised. Taako slowly turned to face her and grinned, lazily swirling his wine glass in one hand.

"Hey Lucy, pull up a box, I hope you brought your own glass."

Lucretia let out a long-suffering sigh. “If you're feeling well enough, which it certainly looks like you are, we need you to come to the bridge and explain what happened.”

Taako drained the remainder of his wine, then shoved the now-empty glass into Kravitz's hand as he stood and stretched.

"Let's do it!" Taako said cheerfully, as if it was his idea. He turned to Kravitz and gave him an exaggerated wink before following Lucretia out of the room, the door shutting and latching behind him with a distinct _click._

Kravitz was left alone in the storage room with a mostly-empty wine bottle and two glasses, staring at the door long after it had shut, wondering what he had gotten himself into. By all accounts the situation was a mess, but for a reason he knew but refused to voice he couldn't bring himself to be upset by it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz's fate is decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! If you want to yell at me about this fic or taz or anything else you can find me [on Tumblr](https://stellarwing.tumblr.com/)!

Taako looked a lot more confident than he felt as he strolled into Davenport's office. Davenport was already there, seated in his nice chair that Taako was definitely not jealous of. Barry and Merle were there as well, and Lucretia and Magnus filed in after him.

Davenport nodded to each of them before speaking. "Now that we're all here..."

Taako wanted to yell that they _weren't_ all there, that a very important person was still missing, but he knew it wouldn't help the situation so he bit his tongue.

Davenport fixed Taako with an intense look. "Taako, please explain what happened last night, and why you invited a stranger into the Starblaster."

"Okay, first off, I'm doing great thanks for asking." Taako knew Davenport cared about his wellbeing, but he was in the mood to be petty. "Second, I didn't just- invite some stranger, I was _literally dying_ and he was the only one around."

Davenport sighed in exasperation. "Taako, please just start at the beginning."

Taako let out a long sigh to show what a hardship it was for him before speaking. "I was at the bar down the street, and this random guy came up to me and said he had some uh, some info on someone I was looking for. It sounded like it was probably bullshit, but all he wanted to do was play cards right there in the bar so I figured what was the harm?"

At this point Taako realized he was still standing, and flopped down dramatically onto one of the chairs positioned to face Davenport's desk.

"He said he'd uh, he'd only tell me the info if I won," Taako continued, "But he caught- he caught me cheating." He pointedly looked away from Davenport, concentrating on the desk between them. "I didn't know he was a werewolf, or that it was a uh, full moon last night.

"I managed to get outta there and the guy's friend kept him from chasing me, but I was pretty uh, pretty fucked up by that point. Kravitz popped up outta nowhere and offered to help, and I told him how to get in here because I was, again, _literally dying_ and not too uh, too concerned with what came after."

It was silent for a minute as the others processed his story, time that Taako used to inspect his nails and decide it was time for another coat of polish. Davenport cleared his throat, and Taako looked back up at him, finding himself the target of another hard look.

"What do _you_ think should be done with the vampire?" Davenport asked with the tone of a man not looking for advice, but rather issuing a test.

"Kravitz," Taako corrected him mildly, "His name is Kravitz. And I dunno, just let him go I guess? He didn't do anything wrong. We can just move again."

Davenport considered him for a moment, then nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I think that's the best course of action. Lucretia, do you have anything to add?"

Lucretia nodded. "Taako," she said, her tone steely, 'What did you talk to the vampire- to _Kravitz_ about while you were down there?"

Taako shrugged. "Stuff. Mostly about myself. He told me a couple a things about himself too, but nothing uh, nothing incriminating or nothin’."

"And you didn't tell him _anything_ about what we do here?"

"Nope. Thought it would make _pretty_ boring first date conversation."

Lucretia frowned at him, her gaze critical. "Magnus said you were talking with him for _hours._ "

"You don't think I can talk about myself for hours?"

Lucretia looked like she was about to object, then a thoughtful look crossed her face and she nodded. "Okay, yes, that tracks. But next time I ask you not to interact with a potential threat, _please_ listen."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Taako said noncommittally. "Can I go now?"

Davenport nodded. "You can, yes. But Taako just... be _careful_."

Taako waved him off as he stood. “'Course, 'careful' might as well be my middle name."

* * *

Kravitz was a patient man, but he was becoming extraordinarily bored. There were no windows in the storage room (thankfully) but he thought it must have been nightfall by then. He was starting to consider staging a breakout simply for something to do when he heard the distinct sound of the door unlocking, and stood at attention.

The door swung open and Magnus stood on the other side, smiling a little sheepishly.

"The higher-ups gave the okay to let you go, as long as you don't try anything dumb."

Kravitz was pretty miffed that they would suspect him at all after he had done nothing but play nice, but opted not to bring it up, mostly just relieved to be able to go home and take a nap.

So he nodded and said, "Of course. I'm more than happy to pretend this never happened."

Magnus held out Kravitz's phone and wallet, both of which had been confiscated at the beginning of his imprisonment, and he gratefully took them back and stuck them in his pockets. Magnus motioned for him to follow, and he did so, leaving the room and heading in the direction of the exit.

As they were walking Kravitz kept a lookout for any of the others, and maybe one person in particular. The only person he spotted was Barry, on his way into another room, who stopped to wave and give Kravitz a thumbs up before continuing on his way. Before long they were back at the front door, the sun was thankfully down, and Magnus was waving him outside.

Kravitz hesitated, quickly trying to think of an excuse to ask to see Taako again before he left. He hadn't been given a way to contact him, outside of coming back to this secret base, which seemed extremely unwise. But Magnus was standing there expectantly, and he had too much pride to just ask out of the blue. So he stepped outside, and Magnus gave him one last wave before shutting the door.

He didn't linger, lest Magnus was somehow watching him through the door. He went home feeling exhausted and dejected, not to mention more than a little foolish.

It wasn't until he was back in his house that it occurred to him to look in his wallet to make sure all the contents were still there. His cards were untouched, but the cash that he was certain he had been carrying was mysteriously missing. So that was his reward for helping a stranger: an entire day spent locked up, and the loss of nearly a hundred dollars. Not to mention the sting his pride felt at his interest being piqued by Taako, only to have him not even show up to say goodbye.

It was three nights later when he returned to the alley- to demand his money back, was the excuse he told himself. He retraced his steps from that night, arrived where the blue door _should_ have been... but nothing was there. No door, no hint that a door had ever even been there. He was _certain_ this was the correct spot. He ran his hand over the wall, looking for a hidden seam, but there was nothing.

Either powerful magic was at work, or that entire evening had been a fever dream.

Kravitz spent longer than he would ever admit trying to figure out some secret way inside, but he never found even a hint that there was a basement to that building. He went home feeling even more downtrodden that he had the previous time, coming to terms with the idea that he would need to simply forget anything had ever happened there. It was probably for the best.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz is ready for a relaxing night in, but we can't always get what we want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I write at a snail's pace. On an unrelated note, I had a great time at the SF liveshow and I hope those of you that were there did too!

Kravitz was looking forward to a relaxing night in. The evening had just begun and he had no prior engagements, so he was going to sit down and read a book he had been meaning to get to for months.

He had just settled down into his chair, getting into that perfect position of comfort, when his phone rang. It was on the table, _just_ out of reach of where he was. He was tempted to just let it ring, knowing there was a good chance it was a robocall telling him he had won a cruise or some other rubbish, but he had to check it on the off chance it was important work related business. So he stood with a labored sigh and swiped up his phone, fully prepared to press the hangup button.

Kravitz frowned at his phone when he saw that it was a number saved in his contacts, but not one he could ever remember adding. There wasn't even a name associated with it, just a series of differently colored heart emojis in rainbow order, followed by a unicorn. Morbidly curious as to who it could belong to, he answered a fraction of a second before it went to voicemail with a bewildered, "Hello?"

"Oh fuck, you actually answered!"

The voice on the other end was excited but noticeably strained. It was familiar, but Kravitz couldn't _quite_ put his finger on where he- wait, it couldn't be...

" _Taako?_ " It had been weeks since their encounter, and he had long given up on ever hearing from him again.

"The one and only!" the voice chirped, but quickly turned serious. "Listen, listen, this isn't how this was supposed to shake out- you were supposed to find my number on your phone and call it and then we could, we could flirt more and maybe meet up for dinner or something, make pottery or some shit, but that didn't uh, but things have changed. I need help."

Kravitz didn't answer right away, trying to process this very sharp turn in his once quiet evening. "Last time I helped you I was locked up for almost twenty-four hours and someone stole the cash out of my wallet."

"Okay, that- that one was on Taako. You looked- you didn't look like you were struggling to make cash, I didn't think you'd notice it was missing. I'll give it back, whatever, no big deal, but I really- I really need your help."

Kravitz wanted to insist that it was most definitely a big deal to steal money from someone who just saved your life, but Taako sounded genuinely panicked and the missing money ultimately wasn't important to him. "What could I possibly help you with that your friends couldn't?"

Kravitz could hear muffled talking, as if Taako was covering the phone while speaking with someone else. After a few seconds his voice came through clear again. "Look, you're the only one I know that's uh, _nocturnal_ , if you catch my drift. There's someone here who is uh, also like that? But she hasn't been for very long and she doesn't really, know what she's doing."

Kravitz took in Taako's barely coded message with a growing concern. A vampire with no one to teach them had definitely not been changed according to the rules. "Taako, are you saying you're with someone who was turned against her will? Where are you? Is she sane, can she speak?" He was already grabbing his keys and preparing to run out the door as he spoke, his book completely forgotten. This wasn't something he could ignore, regardless of where the information came from.

"Yeah, no, she's fine, she's- well, not fine, but she can talk and stuff, she's not hurting anyone." There was a pause. "You're not... gonna hurt her, are you? If you come here?"

Kravitz stood by the door, nothing further for him to do until he knew where to go. "Not unless she's unstable and it's necessary for the safety of those around her. But if she can hold a conversation that's good, I should be able to help. Where are you?"

There was a pause long enough that Kravitz thought the call might have disconnected. "Taako? Are you still there?"

"...Ya know the Pizza Hut on Seventh and K? The alley behind there."

Kravitz did _not_ in fact know (the shops changed too often for him to keep track), but it sounded easy enough to find. "I'll be there as quickly as I can, just hold tight, and try not to do anything that will make her angry."

"Yeah." Another short pause. "...Thanks."

Kravitz was already getting into his car before the call had ended. He hastily shot a text to one of his contacts before speeding to a hospital on the way to his destination. He pulled around to the back loading area and someone came to the door and handed him a blood bag, no questions asked. Wasting no time with pleasantries, he took it with a nod and was on his way again.

He parked along the street a block away from the Pizza Hut, making sure no one was looking before he melded into the shadows and crept toward the alley. He could hear whispered voices before their owners came into view, sounding like someone trying to desperately give assurances. No screams of horror though, so that was a good sign.

Kravitz rounded the corner, still cloaked in shadows, and spotted three figures huddled at the end of the alley. One was undeniably Taako, in a garish outfit that looked more suited to a nightclub than a shady back alley, and another was a human man that Kravitz recognized after a moment as Barry, the one who had asked him many strange questions while he was locked up in a storage closet. The third was between them, close enough to be touching them both, Taako with a hand on her shoulder and Barry holding her hand. And even if he hadn't been warned ahead of time, Kravitz would not have had any doubt she was a vampire.

It should not be possible to tell a vampire from a mortal in normal circumstances, but one glance told Kravitz that this vampire was _starving_. She was an elf, and her face was strikingly similar to Taako's save for the fact that her eyes were intensely bloodshot. Her ears were flattened against her head in a show of extreme stress or possibly fear, and even from a distance he could see that she was shaking.

Seeing a starving vampire in such close proximity to two mortals was deeply concerning, and experience told Kravitz that if he did not step in soon the situation could quickly turn tragic. He strode toward them, not dropping his concealment until he was halfway down the alley. And maybe the dramatic entrance wasn't necessary, but no one needed to know if he took a certain joy in seeing them jump at his sudden appearance.

The vampire took a step back and flattened herself against the wall, eyes wide and teeth barred. Taako squeezed her shoulder and took a step toward Kravitz.

"You came," Taako said with no small amount of surprise, as if he had expected Kravitz not to follow through. He looked exhausted, somehow even more so than when Kravitz had found him bleeding out on the sidewalk.

"I came," Kravitz said curtly, stopping roughly ten feet from where the three of them stood, "And I expect a detailed explanation, but first things first."

Kravitz reached into his cloak and pulled out the blood bag he had picked up from the hospital, holding it out in the direction of the frazzled vampire. She eyed it suspiciously for all of a second before darting forward with unnatural speed and ripping it from his hand, hunger evidently winning out against caution. He didn't have a chance to explain how to most efficiently drink from it before she had bitten into it and torn a hole in the packaging, heedless of the splash of blood that now stained the front of her shirt. Her two companions watched her warily as she sucked it dry, sharing a brief, concerned glance.

Once the bag was empty she stared at it in her hands, as if trying to process what she had done. Kravitz reached forward and gingerly extricated it from her grasp, which she allowed without protest. She was no longer shaking and most of the redness had faded from her eyes, but her expression was stricken.

"Now then," Kravitz said calmly, trying to soothe some of the anxiety permeating the space, "Is there somewhere nearby we can speak openly?"

Taako nodded, quickly masking the unease that had played across his face only seconds prior. "Yeah, I gotcha."

Taako turned to the wall on his left and pressed his palm against the cold stone. Magic seemed to spread from his fingertips and crawl in jagged lines across the surface of the wall in a seemingly random pattern, glowing a soft pink in the dimly-lit alley. After a few seconds the magic suddenly dissipated and a heavy metal door was now set into the wall, centered around his hand. He pushed and it swung inward with seemingly little resistance.

The other vampire entered first followed by Barry, the two of them holding each other's hands in a tight grip. Taako motioned for Kravitz to go in after, and he did so without complaint, leaving Taako to take up the rear and shut the door behind him.

They found themselves in a room with nothing but a single stairwell leading down and a flickering lamp in one corner. Kravitz noticed it looked extraordinarily similar to the entrance to the hideout where he had brought Taako when he was injured, but he had more pressing matters to ask about currently, so he mentally filed it away for later.

None of the other three made a move toward the stairs, seemingly content to stay there in the entryway, so Kravitz took charge of getting the conversation started. He held his hand out to the other vampire as an offer to shake, and said to her, "I assume you've already been told this, but my name is Kravitz. What should I call you?"

She reached out and took his hand, looking him directly in the eye as she gave him a firm handshake. "Lup," she answered, then made a motion toward the empty blood bag in Kravitz's other hand. "Thank you for… that."

Kravitz nodded and let his hand fall back to his side. "Now please, tell me what happened. Do you know who changed you?"

Lup's face turned to an angry scowl. "Yeah, I know who it was. This fucking dwarf named Cyrus. He had something he shouldn't have, this… artifact. It's a mage thing, not something anyone else should be fucking around with." Kravitz got the impression there was something more to this object that she wasn't sharing, but he chose not to interrupt her story. "I tried to get it back from him, and _maybe_ I should've brought backup but I was _really sure_ I could take him on alone. And to be fair I totally did, just not until after he turned me into a bloodsucking creature of the night."

Kravitz shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. You can't just _accidentally_ turn someone into a vampire, he would have had to do it on purpose. Why would he change someone actively trying to oppose him?"

"I didn't just knock on his door and start shooting fireballs at him. I was trying to schmooze my way in so I could steal the relic and bolt. I didn't expect him to suddenly bite me while we were chilling."

Kravitz did not like the sound of that one bit. "That is deeply concerning. How long ago was all this?"

Lup frowned and looked upward as she thought. "I'm gonna be honest, I kinda lost track of time after he bit me. I was busy trying to keep myself from eating people. That shit wasn't easy."

"She disappeared thirty-five days ago," Barry supplied from his position at Lup's side.

Kravitz was stunned. He could tell Lup was starving when they met, but he had assumed she was going hungry for a day at most. "Going for over thirty days without feeding as a newly created vampire takes an extraordinary amount of willpower. I'm genuinely impressed."

Lup preened at the compliment, and Taako cut in with a proud "That's my sister!"

Well that explained the strong resemblance. Kravitz mentally noted the information before continuing. "Do you know where Cyrus is now?"

"Dead," Lup answered easily. "I mean he was already dead but now he's extra super dead. I wasn't about to let him get away with that."

"I see. That's probably for the best. You'll likely be subjected to at least a surface level investigation since you did technically kill another vampire, but I'm certain nobody named Cyrus had permission to sire a new vampire so I can't imagine you'll be punished for it."

"Hang on a tick," Taako interrupted, " _Permission?_ You gotta get a parent signature or somethin' before you can bite somebody?"

Kravitz couldn't help but laugh at the question. Of course they wouldn't know anything about the process, but it still struck him as funny. "Not quite. But we can't have everyone running around doing whatever they like, our existence would become public knowledge and mortals would hunt us to extinction. Don't mages have their own rules to prevent that?"

Taako shrugged. "I mean I guess? We also don't actually turn people into mages though so I guess it's not really the same. Who do you have to ask?"

"The Queen," Kravitz answered, and to his incredible dismay Taako barked out a laugh.

After a second Taako recovered, and looked at Kravitz's serious expression with disbelief. "Wait, for real?"

"Yes," Kravitz huffed, feeling an automatic defensiveness at the indirect insult to the Queen. "All major decisions _must_ go through her, and turning someone new is not taken lightly."

"I'm not great at political science but I'm _preeeeetty_ sure we have a president."

Kravitz sighed and turned to address Lup instead. "This is all information you will need to know, so listen closely. The Queen runs this city. And I don't just mean for the vampires, every local elected official is in her pocket. Do not underestimate her power, either literally or figuratively. You do _not_ want to cross her."

Lup looked at him thoughtfully. "So she's the big kahuna of vampires?"

Kravitz winced slightly at the irreverent terminology. "For the area, yes. But _please_ don't call her that to her face."

"Do I get to meet her?" Lup sounded excited by the idea, which was somehow more concerning that the fear he had expected.

"You _must_ meet her, in fact. All new vampires to the city, whether traveling or newly created, must introduce themselves to her. It's a showing of good faith, and an agreement to follow her rules as long as you inhabit her city."

"Sick! When do we leave?"

Kravitz had expected to need to do a lot of convincing to get her onboard; her willingness had thrown him off-guard. "I mean, that's- now, I guess? The night is young, and the sooner the better." He glanced at Taako and Barry, who were still flanking her closely. "I'm afraid your... family can't come, though. It's strictly vampires only."

Neither of her two companions looked at all pleased by this news. It was Taako who spoke up first, looping his arm through his sister's.

"Nope. Nuh-uh. We _just_ found her, we're not gonna- not gonna just let you run off with her again."

Kravitz stood up straighter, prepared for the resistance. "This is non-negotiable. Access to where we're going is strictly forbidden to anyone who isn't a vampire. And if that isn't enough for you, the fact that Lup was turned without the proper procedure already puts her in a vulnerable position; breaking more rules will put her at greater risk."

Taako was undeterred. "Hey, how about uh, uh, fuck your Queen and her dumb rules, we didn't agree to any of this!"

Kravitz's temper flared, but before he could retaliate Lup interrupted with a hand on Taako's arm.

"Taako, it's all right," Lup said sternly, "I'm just going to go rub elbows with some stuffy vampires and then I'll be back." She turned to look at Kravitz for confirmation. "Right?"

Kravitz was still incensed by Taako's words and Lup's flippant language, but he was better than this, he couldn't let himself be worked into a frenzy by a couple of irreverent elves. He took a second to compose himself before answering.

"That is the gist of it, yes. Though if you want to come out of it unscathed I would suggest keeping your blasphemous language to a minimum while in the Queen's presence."

Lup did not acknowledge his last comment, instead turning back to Taako with an encouraging smile. "See? No problem!"

Barry gently squeezed Lup's hand to get her attention. "Babe, are you sure about this?" He looked over at Kravitz. "Can't we just... leave the city?"

Kravitz frowned slightly, but nodded. "You can yes, but you will find a similar setup in just about any city in the country. And Lup, you will need someone to teach you what you need to survive, and I cannot guarantee that vampires in other cities will be quite so... accommodating." He flicked his gaze between the three of them. "You called me here to ask for my help, didn't you? Let me _help._ "

The three of them looked at each other, and seemed to have some sort of conversation entirely through facial expressions. After a few seconds of this Taako turned to Kravitz with a determined look.

"Promise you'll keep her safe." It was more of a demand than a question.

"All I can promise is that I'll do my best to present her case," Kravitz explained, "The final decision on her fate is beyond my power."

This answer was not acceptable, judging by the furrow in Taako's brow. " _Promise,_ " he insisted.

"You are being awfully demanding for someone asking for a favor," Kravitz said with a sigh. But he did feel for them; even from their short interaction it was clear they had a great deal of love for each other. And if everything he had been told was true, none of them were to blame for any of this madness.

After a brief staredown, Kravitz relented. "Okay, all right, I promise. I won't let anything happen to her." He was _pretty_ sure it wouldn't be a problem in any case, so there was no point in making Taako and Barry worry.

Taako's face brightened noticeably at the promise, and Kravitz tried to ignore the way that made his dead heart suddenly feel tight. "Gonna hold you to that. I know a few ways to dust a vampire, so, you know. Don't fuck up."

The threat was said so cheerfully that it took Kravitz a moment to register that's what it was. He was unbothered though; sure, he had watched Taako turn a young vampire into cinders, but Kravitz was not so easily defeated.

"I don't plan to," Kravitz answered simply, "Are you ready, Lup?"

Lup gave Barry a kiss on the cheek and Taako's shoulder a comforting squeeze before she stepped away from them and toward Kravitz, a look of fierce determination in her eyes.

"Lead the way, Nosferatu!"

"Nosferatu was ugly," Taako objected with a huff, "Pick someone hot."

Kravitz wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but his cheeks felt considerably warmer than a dead man's should. "Kravitz. My name is Kravitz. Please come with me, I'm parked just down the street."

All three of them followed Kravitz to his car, talking amiably as they walked. Kravitz quietly listened to them banter, silently praying he hadn't just made a monumental mistake.


End file.
